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Topic Review (Newest First)

03-01-2013 07:18 AM

bellagriff

While I would argue that raw is better than home cooked (just my own opinion based on my research), the home cooked would be MUCH better than (probably) any kibble on the market. You are able to control exactly what is in your dog's diet, which is very important. You would not believe what goes into the processed foods we eat, let alone dog food.

The only thing you have to be careful of with home cooked is NO BONES. Raw bones are great, but they can be deadly once cooked. So, I am not sure how you would deal with that aspect, but I am sure someone has some experience in cooking for their dog.

02-11-2013 09:15 PM

jbgsd

Would he still get benefits from the home cooked as raw?

02-11-2013 07:33 PM

Discoetheque

The risk of salmonella through the patties would probably be about the same as the risk from getting meat from a clean, trusted source. It will also be horrendously expensive. For example, 6# of Primal in my area is in the ballpark of about $30, average. That amount would last one of my dogs roughly three days. That's probably about $70 to feed my dog for one week. Nearly $300 a month. And she hardly eats a lot compared to some other dogs.
If you're going to go for a kibble, then I would investigate everything. Find a company, look at who owns them. What other companies they own. Where they source from: some companies are very forthcoming about where every ingredient, every meat, every egg in the food comes from. Most are not. Their track record with recalls. Customer reviews. Ingredient lists. Talk to people who feed or have fed the food you're interested in.

02-11-2013 05:46 PM

Lauri & The Gang

Ok, folks. This isn't a discussion on whether raw is safe or not or better or whatever.

The OP asked for recommendations on the next best thing to raw.

You could look into home cooked. You can still control the ingredients and avoid all the cheap fillers.

02-11-2013 05:40 PM

qbchottu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marnie

The raw meat is all over the dogs muzzle and face. If you feed in the crate and he lays in the crate, the bacteria is all over the dog. Chances are it won't ever have any effect on the dog, but when you pet the dog, the bacteria is all over your hands. That could definitely impact a child or someone with an illness or a problem with their immune system. This is why vets cannot recommend raw feeding. I know I wouldn't want my little nieces to get a nice wet GSD kiss from a raw fed dog.

My vet LOVES my raw fed dogs - took my raw fed female into the vet for xrays today and the entire office couldn't stop commenting on her robust appearance. Vet was over the moon about her health. Fed raw to my dogs in India when I was a child (perhaps even at the same age as your little nieces!) and NEVER once had a scare. My physician parents saw nothing wrong with it either FYI.

What exactly do you think is crawling over the feces/urine that dogs get into on a regular basis? Not exactly sanitary pristine conditions out there....yet somehow we aren't all succumbing to deathly illnesses when our dogs interact with us.....

02-11-2013 05:23 PM

Liesje

People do not understand salmonella and bacteria on raw meat. Just because meat is raw does NOT mean that there is automatically salmonella and e. coli. and other harmful bacterias on it. You get salmonella poisoning by eating food contaminated with feces, it is not something that just naturally occurs on the surface of raw meats. If these bacterias are present then the meat has been *contaminated* and the chances are it has already been recalled and pulled from the butcher before you even get a chance to buy it. I was having this discussion with my husband last week while standing at the butcher counter picking out chicken parts for my dog. Apparently the butcher was eavesdropping because he said "that is absolutely right".

I don't get why people don't just say they are grossed out by raw meat. Making up stuff about how the bacteria is spread or how common it is just perpetuates these myths. It's one thing to be grossed out by raw meat and not want to deal with it, that I can understand, but to think that feeding a dog raw is going to constantly introduce these harmful bacterias is not accurate. If you or your dog gets salmonella you should warn your health department and tell them what meat you bought.

02-11-2013 05:15 PM

Marnie

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anitsisqua

Well, I feed my boy outside or in his crate, so that helps limit the places that raw meat can be dropped...

The raw meat is all over the dogs muzzle and face. If you feed in the crate and he lays in the crate, the bacteria is all over the dog. Chances are it won't ever have any effect on the dog, but when you pet the dog, the bacteria is all over your hands. That could definitely impact a child or someone with an illness or a problem with their immune system. This is why vets cannot recommend raw feeding. I know I wouldn't want my little nieces to get a nice wet GSD kiss from a raw fed dog.

02-11-2013 04:56 PM

Anitsisqua

Well, I feed my boy outside or in his crate, so that helps limit the places that raw meat can be dropped...

02-10-2013 11:46 PM

onyx'girl

well, your family eats meat, right? That contains the same as what a raw diet would and you use common sense when handling raw meat.
The only issue I ever see is where I feed my dogs, they can drop food on the floor as they eat, and they do want to have their muzzles wiped off after they eat(probably the same as a kibble fed dog?)
If someone has an immune system that is compromised they are going to be subjected to whatever anyway, so taking precautions is necessary. Otherwise, raw feeding is no different than kibble feeding. I've fed raw for over 6 yrs and have had no problems whatsoever.

02-10-2013 11:03 PM

Yoschi's_Pet_Human

I won the battle by showing how it costs less... if you do it right, don't overfeed and by bulk through co-ops or sale meats it's less than good kibble.

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